Ma’aden Solar I
1,500 MWth facility will be the world’s largest solar process heat plant
Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden Group), is Saudi Arabia’s national mining champion and one of the fastest-growing mining companies in the world.
Ma’aden has teamed with GlassPoint to develop Ma’aden Solar 1, the world’s largest solar process heat plant that will help Ma’aden achieve its sustainability goals.
Impact
Ma’aden Solar I will be 1,500 MWth, when complete, making it one of the largest solar projects of any kind. The facility will reduce Ma’aden’s carbon emissions by nearly 10%, the equivalent of taking nearly 130,000 cars off the road, and play a meaningful role in supporting the Saudi Green Initiative which will take the kingdom to net-zero emissions by 2060.
Project details
The new facility will be located in Ras al Khair, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and will harness the power of the sun to produce steam. GlassPoint will build, own and operate the facility, which will generate steam for use in refining bauxite ore into alumina, a key ingredient in aluminum production. Ma’aden’s raw materials are in turn used in a range of markets, including the automotive industry.
Peak Output: 1,500 MW Thermal
Energy Output: 3,000 GWh/year
Daily Steam Output: 14,000 Tons
Solar Field Area: 6 km2
Total Project Area: 7 km2
Technology: GlassPoint Enclosed Trough
Construction Start: 2024
First Steam: 2026
Gas Savings: 12,000,000 Million Btus Per Year
CO2 Emissions Saved: 600,000 Tons Per Year
An expanded focus
This agreement is GlassPoint’s first in metals and reflects the company’s expanded focus on decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries, including the production of materials essential to the energy transition. That includes mining and metals, chemicals, construction materials, desalination and more.
Technology
GlassPoint’s proven enclosed trough concentrated solar power (CSP) technology uses large, curved mirrors to focus sunlight on a boiler tube containing water. The concentrated energy boils the water to produce high-quality steam, which is fed into existing industrial operations. A self-cleaning structure encloses and protects the solar collectors from wind, sand and dust, as well as storms that can destroy other solar systems. The structure protects the operational environment, enabling the use of lightweight mirrors and components that are a fraction of the cost of competing systems. Molten salt storage enables round the clock solar steam operations.
“[Ma’aden Solar I] will dramatically reduce our carbon footprint and bring us closer to our mandate of carbon neutrality by 2050. As the world moves towards green aluminum, Ma’aden intends to help lead the way in this transition”
ROBERT WILT
CEO of Ma’aden